Monday, April 28, 2014

We went away for the weekend, of course, that involves checking out the local thrift and antique shops. I found some things and cute things they are!!!

This guy was on a 60% off table at an antique barn, I surely would never have purchased it at regular price but with the discount, it was a reasonable price. There are no markings on him, he's quite heavy and oh, so cute!!

It's sure great to be able to take pictures outside again, it was sunny and nice today but looks like rain for most of the week...

It was a planter weekend, I guess, I bought another one, no markings on this one either - I picked this one up at a thrift.

This is not something I very rarely look at, but this little pitcher took my eye, I picked it up and never put it back down - he was very reasonably priced at an antique shop. He's stamped "Japan"

I don't normally buy mugs either, but this one had an owl - and it's from Creemore China & Glass - Creemore, Ontario - Decorated in Canada! Mugs sure have increased in size, haven't they?

I actually bought a piece of Pyrex - I don't need all the different colors of these, I got rid of a couple and figured I would just keep the lime green ones, as that's what I have the most of - I paid $2.50 for this 024 at a Salvation Army - it's made in Canada. So, now I have a new lime green piece!!

A bunny book to add to the Easter collection, for those future grandchildren!

I never find things like this at the Value Village around here - older Carlton cards, they were in the box, twelve cards of each - aren't they great?

It was perfect - I found two Vera scarves and a couple of other ones for resale.

I didn't thrift this giant Ball jar but I wanted to share it, I purchased it at Canadian Tire, after seeing someone with one, I had to have one for myself! It's a one gallon jar, I don't know what I'm going to put in it but I'll be filling it up with something! Love it!!

It's time to link up with Thriftasaurus - I see there are twenty three people ahead of me, things must be looking up in the thrifting world!!! Check out the History and Home party as well at We Call it Junkin

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

It's funny how reading another person's blog can set you off looking in an area of the thrift store that you don't usually look, this happened to me after reading Diane's post about her playing card collection, if you care to look at her amazing cards, you can right here. She has the neatest cards, I didn't even know cards like that existed!! So, now I'm looking at cards - oh, no....

For you that follow me on Instagram, you've already seen these sweet Old Maid cards, but now it's time for a blog post, so here they are..

Click on so you can have a close look - they're nursery rhyme Old Maid - they are so cute!!! I don't really know what I'm going to do with them, someone suggested framing, that might be cute if I had a small child, some could be going to the SMASH book, I really haven't decided.

That's the package, the top right card is the reverse of the above cards. The other card was a single instruction card for another pack, which wasn't there..

More cute cards that were only 25 cents.

Another 25 cent pack - I know these aren't old but they've got cute illustrations - they will definitely be SMASHed.

We already have this game but I've been looking for another one so I can use the cards for SMASHing!

I have another one of these little Scotch Brand Christmas tapes, they are the sweetest tucked in the Christmas displays. I am just reading the fine print - cellulose tape - made in Canada by Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company of Canada Limited. I guess we could call this old style washi, what do you think???

I think I'm on a lucky streak for vintage magazines, I brought this Good Housekeeping magazine to the counter, both front and back covers are missing, I told the clerk that, oh, she said, you can just have that!!! Fine by me!! Considering there is one left there and it is priced at $20, this was definitely a steal! It's the oldest copy I have so far, April 1934. There are some great old ads in this one too, those posts are so much fun to do, I will be doing one soon. In the meantime, here's a couple of ads from 1934.

Coca Cola - served in leading hospitals!!! It is pure and wholesome - didn't you know??

Finally, a Pyrex ad - I wanted to show this one as well so you could see the date down in the corner. You could send away for a 12 month menu calendar, for free - I have never seen any of those, I don't imagine there are many of those around anymore. As if we didn't know this - "Sparkling Pyrex Ware makes foods look and taste more delicious" It's so true!!!

Friday, April 18, 2014

I don't always bake, there are just some things that I don't bake and only pre packaged will do. I plan to have strawberry shortcake over the weekend, vanilla pound cake is what I use and I always buy it!! I was at a different grocery store this week and picked up this cake.

It looks good enough from the front, I was in a hurry and just took it, I didn't look at the best before date, didn't look at the back of it or anything, I feel embarrassed that I bought this cake so blindly. First of all, if I had looked at the best before date, I probably would have put it down right then, best before - Sept. 23 - really, what does this cake have in it?

When I was putting it away at home, I finally looked at the back - this cake was made in Dubai, United Arab Emirates - now I have nothing against that country but why in heaven's name is this cake at a grocery store in Canada? I wish I had turned the cake over and saw the back, I would have seen the print at the top, looked at the ingredients and then saw where it was made - I would never have purchased it!!! The first ingredient is sugar, oh my goodness, since this grocery store is not in my town, it will be going to the garbage! I went to my local grocery store yesterday and bought a cake made in Canada!!

Sometimes we are in a rush and don't inspect these packages like we should, I thought the day I bought relish made in India, that was bad enough but this seems worse, we should be supporting our own when we can and the products are made here. By the way, I returned that relish to the store and they looked at me like I had ten heads when I said why I was returning it!!

Monday, April 14, 2014

I wanted to use up some of the buttermilk I had in the fridge, so I just typed in buttermilk muffins, yummm, some chocolate muffins sounded good to me, actually double chocolate muffins! It's an easy recipe and more than likely you have the ingredients on hand, well, maybe not the buttermilk, put it on y our grocery list!! It's great for baking and homemade buttermilk pancakes are the best! The recipe originally comes from Jen at Jen's Favorite Cookies.

1/2 c. vegetable oil, I used canola

1 c. buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. white sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. cocoa powder ( I didn't have any regular cocoa so I substituted the dark here, the only cocoa I buy now is a darker variety at Bulk Barn)

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

If you grew up in the 60's and 70's, there's a very good chance you had a bottle of liquid gold - Breck Shampoo. I remember it well, it seemed like a luxurious shampoo to me, it was thick and smelled so good. Maybe I liked it because of their ads and the beautiful Breck girls, after all, who wouldn't want to have a head of hair like those gals had - I was always trying all the shampoos - my hair was long, straight and tended to be on the oily side - I needed all the help I could get!!!

Last week Heidi Ann who writes about lots of vintage goodness over at her blog, Gold Country Girls, did two posts about Breck Girls - she included pictures from her vintage magazines. If you want to read her posts, they're here and here . That was all I need to haul out my vintage magazines and see what I could find - I'm sharing mine with you today.

But, first, here's a few Breck facts -

Breck Shampoo was created by Dr. John S. Breck in 1930 in Springfield, MA - it was thought to be the first pH balanced shampoo in history.

The Breck Girls were first illustrated by Charles Sheldon who had previously worked at Photoplay Magazine, he was succeeded in 1957 by Ralph William Williams - his work is what you'll see on my images.

All Breck Girl images are at the Smithsonian Institute - many of the girls were company employees, Breck family members or local women who were not models. Numerous celebrities were also Breck Girls - Cheryl Tiegs, Jaclyn Smith, Cybill Shepherd, Kim Basinger and Brooke Shields.

Breck sponsored America's Junior Miss Pageant - many girls were used from there.

The ads were normally on the back cover of such magazines as Ladies Home Journal, Woman's Home Companion, Seventeen, Vogue and Glamour

The Breck girl was phased out in 1976 with the death of Williams.

In 2006, Breck was acquired by Dollar Tree - from what I've read online people it'sjust not the same - nothing is ever the same anymore...

Here are the Breck Girls, from my thrifted magazines.

From Ladies' Home Journal - January/Februrary 1964 - I found this page torn from the magazine and folded in the middle.

From Family Circle - December, 1964

From Woman's Day, January 1966

From Woman's Day, December 1966

The July 1973 issue of Woman's Day saw an ad for a new Breck Shampoo - Super Balsam.

From Woman's Day, October 1974

Once again they were advertising a new product - Breck Satin Lotion and Creme, the ad is different and there is no signature from Williams on it. It is from Good Housekeeping, September, 1970.

There was even a Bonnie Breck doll - which you could order for $2 - this is from Good Housekeeping, October 1971.

It's no wonder these beautiful illustrations became part of the longest running and most successful campaign in advertising history - every one is gorgeous - the images live on - look on Pinterest, you can probably see just about every Breck Girl. I really think I need to find some more ads!!

Friday, April 4, 2014

It's not easy to thrift for Easter items around here, well, it would be if all I wanted were dollar store items because that seems to be pretty much all there is!!

I actually found three things yesterday, one vintage for sure, one not new and another thing, probably new! They set me back $2.50.

It was odd this little made in Japan guy wasn't picked up at Value Village - my kids used to often get egg cups for Easter, there are still a couple here that we use. This one will not be used!!!

Danish butter cookies came in this tin - it's not very old, but it can pass for sort of old - it's banged up and dented on the sides!

I have been on the hunt for a lamb planter for weeks now, I know I used to see those things all the time, not any more and if I would have been smart maybe I would have kept a couple that I got when my children were born, but they're long gone.... So, out of desperation I bought this, I think it's really cute, I don't really care if it's old or not!